Methods, systems and apparatus relating to golf games

ABSTRACT

Golf game to practice putting and pitching. Pitching unit extends vertically from putting unit or can be separated. Multiple units represents multiple playing holes. Upper tier receives pitched ball and lower tier receives putted ball. Indoor or outdoor use.

[0001] In one embodiment, the game apparatus comprises a devicecomprising at least two tiers to accept balls either pitched or putted.Golf balls, such as whiffle balls, are included and can come in aplurality, such as 4, of different colors. Participants use their ownclubs, typically a putter and pitching wedge.

[0002] In some embodiments, the upper tier has a front, two sides,bottom and back. The back acts as a stop to catch the ball. The uppertier can either be attached to the lower tier or mounted separately to awall, window or any other surface. The bottom tier has a beveled frontto accept putted balls. Sides, bottom and back are to retain the puttedball. Balls that are pitched into a raised tier may either be retainedby that tier or funneled down to the lower tier. The bottom tier mayhave an device, such as a mechanical or air driven, to send the ballsback to the player. The tiers can be provided integrally with thesubstantially vertical support, in a kit with the substantially verticalsupport, or separately with the substantially vertical support providedseparately by a user, for example where the substantially verticalsupport is a wall.

[0003] The substantially vertical support can comprise a wall or a panelthat can be, if desired, connected to the lower tier such that the lowertier provides a base for the substantially vertical support such thatthe substantially vertical support and the upper tier connected theretoform a free standing structure. The substantially vertical support canalso comprise one, two or more vertical support legs each attached tothe lower tier such that the lower tier provides a base for thesubstantially vertical support such that the substantially verticalsupport and the upper tier connected thereto form a free standingstructure. For example, the substantially vertical support can be asingle leg attached substantially at the middle of the lower tier, orthe substantially vertical support can be two legs attachedsubstantially at opposed sides of the lower tier. The leg(s) can beattached at any other desired location on the various tiers, as well.

[0004] The substantially vertical support and the tiers can be made ofwood, steel, glass, plastic or any other desired material.

[0005] The game can be played on carpet or grass or other desiredsurface.

[0006] In one embodiment, the game can be played with a three tiereddevice as follows:

[0007] 1) Each player starts with 0 points.

[0008] 2) Each player places his ball a distance, for example at leastabout 10 feet, from the target, which is the apparatus.

[0009] 3) Each player may either pitch or putt at his discretion forfirst two tries. After two tries the ball must be putted.

[0010] 4) A pitch in the upper tiers will score 3 or 4 depending ondifficulty.

[0011] 5) A putt in the middle will score 2.

[0012] 6) A putt in the sides will score 1.

[0013] 7) Players may either play until they score or alternate strokes.

[0014] 8) First player to reach 10 points wins. play to 20 when you getbetter.

[0015] In another embodiment, the game can be played similar to the gameabove except that each player starts with 10 points. A miss will add one+1 point to the players score. A pitch in an upper tier will score −3 or−4. A putt in the middle of the lower tier will score −2. A putt in thesides of the lower tier will score −2. First player to reach 0 pointswins.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the game can be played by selecting two,three or more separate spots around the device. Each player tries topitch a ball into the top tier or other designated tier. Whoever makesthe shots in the least tries wins.

[0017] Games can be played with multiple holes (devices) set in variouslocations around an office, play room, lawn or otherwise as desired.

[0018] Accordingly, the present invention provides a golf gamecomprising an upper box and a lower box each attached to a substantiallyvertical support. The lower box forms a lower tier and the upper boxforms an upper tier. The boxes and support can be attached by anydesirable mechanism, such as nails, screws, glue, clamps, velcro orformed integrally with each other. In some embodiments, the attachmentdevices can be permanent; in others they can be releasable. Also in someembodiments, for example where the substantially vertical support is awall, the lower box may not be attached to the substantially verticalsupport but can abut it or be adjacent to it. The boxes can be of anydesired shape, such as rectangular, square, circular, triangular, etc.The lower box preferably comprises an open front so the balls can beeither putted or pitched into the box. Typically, the upper boxescomprise walls on all sides so that a golf ball striking the upper boxis retained within the upper box. If desired, there can be a clear lineof demarcation between the floor of the box and the walls, or there canbe a continuous gradation between the floor and the walls (indeed,depending upon the desired shape, there may be no specific “floor” and“wall”). The game is suitably designed for use in an office, at home, oranywhere else that may be desired. The boxes can be small, medium orlarge in any of the tiers, as desired.

[0019] Accordingly, the game is suitably designed to be used with eitherreal golf balls or with soft golf balls, such as golf balls made of nerffoam, solid plastic or hollow plastic such as whiffle balls or hollowdimpled plastic balls or any other desired material; the golf balls canall be of the same or different colors. The game can comprise one ormore additional middle boxes, which can be substantially the same sizeas the lower box or larger or smaller than the lower box. The variousboxes can be essentially stacked in a straight line, staggered with someboxes further to the right and others further to the left, or in series,for example each of the boxes disposed a bit further to the rightrelative to the box below it, or otherwise as desired. The game can beplayed in any of a variety of fashions. For example, the game can merelycomprise pitching or putting balls at the various boxes either forpractice or as part of an actual scoring game. In addition, the game canbe played using a single golf game as described above, or a plurality ofgolf games located in different locations. In addition, the game cancomprise either awarding players points for achieving a certain goal, orsubtracting points from an initial total, with the first person to getto a particular low score, such as 0, being the winner. In addition, acertain number of strokes can be designated “par” and then points can beeither subtracted or added depending upon whether or not the playerachieves the given shot within the par number of strokes. The variousboxes can, if desired, comprise a variety of indicia designatingparticular awards, such as points, or even specific dollar values orprizes. Various embodiments of the game are also described further aboveand in the claims below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multi-tiered golf game comprising: asubstantially vertical support, a lower tier connected at ground levelto the substantially vertical support, the lower tier comprising a lowerbox comprising a forward facing open side sized to receive a golf ballthat has been putted or chipped; and an upper tier connected to thesubstantially vertical support at a level high enough to permit the golfball to be chipped into the upper tier, the upper tier comprising anupper box sized to receive and retain the golf ball that has beenchipped and is on the fly.
 2. The golf game of claim 1 wherein the lowerbox comprises a first zone that is centrally located in the lower boxand comprises indicia indicating a first award value for the golf ballstriking such area and at least two second areas comprising indiciaindicating a second award value for the golf ball striking such areas.3. The golf game of claim 1 wherein the upper box comprises a raisedback and a pliant material able to retain the golf ball on the fly witha reduced opportunity that the golf ball will bounce out.
 4. The golfgame of claim 3 wherein the upper box comprises netting.
 5. The golfgame of claim 3 wherein the upper box comprises soft foam.
 6. The golfgame of any one of claims 1-5 wherein the lower box comprises a beveledfront edge.
 7. The golf game of any one of claims 1-6 wherein thesubstantially vertical support comprises a wall.
 8. The golf game of anyone of claims 1-6 wherein the substantially vertical support comprises apanel connected to the lower tier such that the lower tier provides abase for the substantially vertical support such that the substantiallyvertical support and the upper tier connected thereto form a freestanding structure.
 9. The golf game of any one of claims 1-6 whereinthe substantially vertical support comprises at least two verticalsupport legs each attached to the lower tier such that the lower tierprovides a base for the substantially vertical support such that thesubstantially vertical support and the upper tier connected thereto forma free standing structure.
 10. The golf game of any one of claims 7-9wherein the substantially vertical support comprises wood, steel orplastic.
 11. The golf game of any one of claims 1-10 wherein the upperbox comprises indicia indicating a third award value for the golf balllanding in the upper box.
 12. The golf game of claim 11 wherein thethird award value is greater than the first award value and the secondaward value.
 13. The golf game of any one of claims 1-12 wherein thegame further comprises a middle tier connected to the substantiallyvertical support at a level high enough to permit the golf ball to bechipped into the middle tier, the middle tier comprising a middle boxsized to receive and retain the golf ball that has been chipped and ison the fly.
 14. The golf game of claim 13 wherein the lower box, themiddle box and the upper box are substantially the same size.
 15. Thegolf game of claim 13 wherein the middle box and the upper box are aboutone-half the size of the lower box, and the middle box and the upper boxare in staggered relation.
 16. The golf game of any one of claims 1-15wherein the middle box comprises indicia indicating a fourth award valuefor the golf ball landing in the middle box.
 17. The golf game of anyone of claims 1-16 wherein the golf game further comprises a funnelbetween the upper box and that lower box, the funnel sized to collectthe golf ball from the upper box and transmit the golf ball to the lowerbox.
 18. The golf game of any one of claims 1-17 wherein the lower boxfurther comprises an automatic return mechanism that ejects the golfball from the lower box.
 19. The golf game of any one of claims 1-18wherein the game further comprises the golf ball and a golf club. 20.The golf game of claim 19 wherein the golf ball is a soft, light golfball comprising at least one of foam or perforated plastic.
 21. A methodof playing a golf game comprising chipping or putting a golf ball intoany one of the boxes in the golf game of any one of claims 1-20.
 22. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises providing eachof a plurality of players with a set number of points; having eachplayer attempt to pitch or putt the golf ball into any one of the boxes;adding at least one point to a player's score for each miss; subtractingat least three points from the player's score for each pitch into theupper box; subtracting a lesser number of points from the player's scorefor each pitch into the substantially vertical support; and, subtractinga still lesser number of points from the player's score for each pitchor putt into the lower box.
 23. The method of claim 22 wherein themethod further comprises declaring a winner when a first of the player'sscores reaches
 0. 24. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein the playersalternate shots.
 25. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein the playershit shots consecutively.
 26. The method of any one of claims 21 to 26wherein the method further comprises attempting pitches or putts at aplurality of different golf games of any one of claims 1-17.
 27. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the method further comprises selecting aplurality of locations around the golf game of any one of claims 1-17;attempting chips or putts from each of the locations until each playermakes the chip or putt; and, designating as a winner the player thatrequires the least number of chips or putts to make a chip or putt fromeach of the locations.
 28. A kit comprising a lower box comprising aforward facing open side sized to receive a golf ball that has beenputted or chipped, an upper box sized to receive and retain the golfball that has been chipped and is on the fly, and attachment devicessuitable to attach the lower box and the upper box to the side of awall, desk or table.
 29. The golf game of claim 28 wherein the gamefurther comprises a middle box sized to receive and retain the golf ballthat has been chipped and is on the fly.